NHS Grampian fails to meet cancer treatment targets

From the quarter ending March 2016, 94.2% of patients in Grampian started treatment within 31 days from decision to treat to first cancer treatment.

This is a decrease of 1.9% from the previous quarter and falls below the 95% treatment target.

The 31-day compliance was met by all cancer types except colorectal and urology while cervical, ovarian, head and neck, melanoma and lymphoma all achieved 100% compliance.

A total of 87.7% NHS Grampian patients started treatment within the 62-day standard, which aims to see patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer wait a maximum of 62 days from referral to first cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, the most recently published data shows that 346 children started treatment at child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), an increase of 68 (24%) compared to the quarter ending December 2015.

Less than half, 49.1% were seen within 18 weeks, compared to 49.6% during the previous quarter.

The service continues to prioritise seeing emergency or urgent referrals and patients with the longest waiting times.